


Seaweed, Scales, and Songs

by Writing_is_Gone



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Alternate Universe - Mermaids, Child Abuse, F/M, H2O: Just Add Water - Freeform, Kidnapping, M/M, Multi, POV Third Person, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-01
Updated: 2018-03-14
Packaged: 2018-11-07 19:50:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11065923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Writing_is_Gone/pseuds/Writing_is_Gone
Summary: Adam was zoning out on Blue’s couch. It was one of the old scratchy, wooly kind, but Adam didn’t even have a couch at his trailer. It was dark orange-burnt color and smelled liked it. Honestly Adam liked the couch and it’s worn corners.Blue and Henry were currently trying to explain the entire situation. They had grew tails. Tails. Not monkey or even a tail where they could still walk, but no, mermaid tails.“You cursed us!” Blue shouted at Henry throwing her hands down to her sides.orAdam, Henry, and Blue get stranded on an island, after the full moon they somehow grow fish tails.[ON HIATUS]





	1. The 'Curse'

Adam Parrish hated walking down the docks, his arms were locked around his middle, as he paid close attention to the ground to make sure it was dry. Sea salt drifted through the air, but unlike people who weren’t use to the ocean; it didn’t burn his nose. 

Adam’s eyes scanned the entirety of the dock; he knew every person who worked or owned a spot on the docks. Mr. Greyman, Adam’s favorite teacher, and one of many patrons who live on their boat, smiled, and waved at Adam. After Adam waved back, he squeeze his stomach a little more. 

Persephone, a kind, small woman who let Adam clean her boat for a little extra cash waved him over. Adam stopped short of the metal barrier along the edge and smiled, “How can I help, miss?” His accent bled a little into his question, but it was fine. Persephone was fine. 

“I was hoping you get me some honeydew cookies, tomorrow,” She bent over the edge and passed a five dollar bill to him. Adam smiled sweetly, nodded, and continued to walk down the  dock. That probably meant that girl scouts were going to stop by Adam’s house. Another psychic vision. Many were confused about Persephone and her powers to tell the future, but Adam found her strangeness refreshing. 

_ Half a mile more _ , Adam thought numbly as he slipped his arms down into his pant pockets. He was supposed to meet his father to ask about the rent of the trailer, even though he and his mother know Robert Parrish had not payed it yet. His thoughts were going to things like school, his three jobs, Blue, school events, curfew, how to get beer for his dad, when he heard the voice pierce his state of mind. 

“Parrish!” Tad Carruthers had pushed through the docks like it was nothing. _ Which it is for him _ , Adam suddenly was jostled out of his thoughts by Tad’s over-muscled arm over his shoulders.  _ Touching! Touching! _

Adam stepped back and said with the nicest smile possible, “How can I help you?” Adam kept the politeness out of his voice, and tried to keep things to a short, simple interaction. 

Tad’s smile feigned hurt, “Well, ya see, my boat isn’t working.”

“What do you mean it isn’t working?” Adam felt fear crawl up his arms, down his chest, and stop at his stomach. Tad began to lead Adam to the small motorboat. 

“Well-” most of his sentences start like this when he is hiding something ”-it won’t start.”

The edge of the small motorboat is pulled under the dock so Adam could easily step in without fear of getting in the water. There is no water, or debris in the boat, so Adam steps in a takes a look at the engine. 

Adam notices that Kavinsky is there now, watching him go over the engine. Adam is the shipyard’s mechanic’s son, so he apparently knows everything about boats, which sadly he does. “Are you going to pay for thi-” Adam’s question cut off by the feeling of the boat being pushed out to sea, pushing the feeling of fear down his head popped up and he resisted the urge to scream. The rope tying it to the dock was off, in the water and Tad and Kavinsky were laughing.

Tad yelled, “Hey! You can have the boat as payment!”

“This isn’t funny!” Adam felt trapped,  _ water, water, water, water, wat- _

“My dad will buy me a new one so who cares.” Tad yells back as Kavinsky screams, “Just swim Trailer Trash!”

Adam turns to the engine, the spark plug is gone, nowhere to be found. 

“That’s why I gave it to you Charity-Case! It’s broken!” Tad yelled. Him and Kavinsky were following him along the dock he felt tears break along his eyes.  _ Remember the breathing exercises, remem- _

Someone was running down straight down the dock, towards Adam’s new boat. The mystery man -more like young man since he seemed to be Adam’s age- landed on his feet perfectly in the middle of the boat, Tad and Kavinsky shocked to silence. Mr. Mystery bent down and slipped a spark plug back into it’s place. 

“How do y-”

“I’m the one who stole it.” The laugh that came from Adam was loud and short. The other boy’s smiled before he turned the boat around and flipped both Tad’s and Kavinsky’s shocked faces. 

“I am Henry Cheng, please, please, don’t faint,” Henry joked along with Adam. 

“Adam-Parrish,” Adam always added his last name as a second thought. Henry smile went from friendly to mischievous. Henry turned his body around and drove the boat away.

“Anyone you want to me to pick up?” Henry asked.

 

* * *

 

Blue Sargent was having an okay day. She got off early at the Juice-Bar, and she got alot families in her section, which meant tourist pictures, and very, very generous tips. Blue was walking to a beat in her head and was humming to some song that came on every thirty-two minutes at the Juice-Bar.

“Hey-ya!” Her head expected to find a raven boy cat-calling her. She did not expect to see a total stranger in Tad Carruther’s fire hydrant red motorboat with her best friend in the entire world. Her best friend who was deathly afraid of water. 

Blue screamed, “What do you think you’re doing!?”

“I am Henry Cheng. And I am going to take you and Mr. Adam Parrish on an adventure,” Henry smiled happily at her while Adam did a little awkward wave.

Blue sighed, looked like she was going on an adventure.

 

* * *

 

They were in the middle of the ocean when the engine shut off, that is exactly the moment the fight began. Blue started to blame Henry and she started to paddle her way with her hand. They-Henry and Blue-gave Adam the actually paddle. 

“At least,  **I** didn’t hijack a boat.”

“Well, I’m helping instead of complaining.”

A long drawn out sigh from Adam.

“Excuse me. I didn’t bring a boy deathly scared of the water in the middle of the ocean!”

“How was I supposed to know that?”

“Pay attention?” Sarcasm. 

“Well, look an island,” Henry pointed to the island in the distance. 

“You want to go to Cabeswater?” Blue sputtered at the same time Adam screamed, “Cabeswater?!” 

“Is there something I’m missing?” Henry looked over at the both of them. 

“Besides your brain cells-”

“-Blue-” Adam interrupted only to be ignored.

“Cabeswater is for starters, a volcano, sharks flock to it, and it’s haunted.” Blue finished crossing her arms over her chest sick of Henry and being in the same area of him. 

“Who would haunt a volcano, is it like a sacrifice or burial ground?” Henry pulled his hand out of the water and started to talk with his hands. 

“Mermaids,” Adam elaborated. Henry left out a snort, before he stopped at the other’s faces.

“Forgive him for he does not know what he says,” Blue recited to the skies, as Adam nodded towards Cabeswater.

“I apologize Cabeswater, for his unknowing,” Adam mumbled to the island. 

“Unknowing?”

“Shut up.”

Henry laughed but nodded, “I am very deeply sorry for my transgressions.”

“Great, we’re cursed now,” Blue mumbled. 

Henry laughed as Adam swat his arm. 

“So Cabeswater or no Cabeswater?”

Adam and Blue simultaneously sighed, then spoke, “Cabeswater.”

 

* * *

 

Adam wanted to be a marine biologist so he naturally he recognized a few fish and shark species as they paddled to the shore. His feet hitting the rocky/sandy beach, taking in all the wildlife. Cabeswater was huge, how were they going to do anything to fix the situation. 

“Let’s get to the top to see if I can get a signal,” Henry raising his phone over his head for the umpteenth time that hour. 

Blue sighed before she lead them to the forest line. The forest was bright and green and was living. The smell of native flowers, and the sight of red and blue birds, and the sounds of bugs, and frogs made Adam’s skin buzz. He really badly wanted to do  **this** . To be outside and to be able listen to nature in peace. 

His traveling companions, on the other hand seemed to hate everything right now. Blue kept getting bugs stuck in her unkempt hair, and Henry kept stepping in mud, and things he hoped were mud. 

“Wow,” Adam spoke out loud. 

“What?!” Henry hissed; he did not expect today to go like this.

“That’s a wild pig,” Adam pointed to a line of trees across the shallow river. A small wild piglet about the size of Adam’s hand was drinking away, before splashing in a little and splashing back out.

“She’s cleaning herself,” Blue said staring with a smile bright on her face, “aw, she’s so cute!”

“She’s not native,” Adam supplied, “Africa, or hotter grasslands are places that warthogs are supposed to live in.”

“Still think Cabeswater isn’t weird, Henry?” Blue gave Henry a smirk as he rolled his eyes.

“Please, this place has superstition. I’m sure lots of researchers don’t come here just cause that. Besides, maybe it adapted to this environment. That’s completely normal,” Henry went back to talking with his hands.

Blue scowled, “Let’s keep going.”

A few minutes of walking before Henry started to laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Blue spun on her heel and put her hands on her hips. Adam eyes were glued to the canopy of the forest, “That bird is something I’ve never seen before.”

“Pumba is following us,” Henry jerked his thumb across the river to the small pig who was indeed following them on the other side of the river. 

“Don’t call her that!” Blue yelled. She turned her head over to Adam who was staring at some frog on a rock. Sighing, she mumbled, “What’s so special about frogs?”

“Their not indigenous,” Adam had his finger about three centimeters away from it, “I think it’s poisonous.”

“Then don’t touch it!” Blue voice hissed, as Henry started another laughing fit. 

“Man, Parrish, you’re amazing,” Henry said smiling as Adam tilted his head at the frog as if this could suddenly reveal all the secrets of the universe.

“Come on the both of you,” Blue grabbed Adam’s sleeve and dragged him away from-what Henry named in his head-Kermit. 

“So, instead of Pumba, how about Bacon as a name?”

Blue sputtered again, and whipped her head around, “Hell no.”

“Well, how about Ms.Piggy for Kermit over there,” He pointed over at the frog who had hopped on trees and rocks; Henry thought it looked like it was following them, too. 

“Ms. Piggy could do so much better than Kermit, and no,” Blue said over her shoulder, still having Adam’s shirt in her grip.

“Hah. I think you’ve been out in the heat too long Sargent,” Henry hissed out, crossing his arms, “Ms. Piggy and Kermit’s relationship is one of the classics.”

Blue laugh was taunting, “Oh, please!” She let go of Adam and made eye contact with Henry, “Ms. Piggy is so depend on Kermit, he’s all she thinks about, it’s pathetic.”

“She cares about him and his opinion! Besides,” Henry tilted his head, “At least she can get a man.” 

Blue stiffen, “Like I want a man, they’re rude and disgusting and they break your heart every single chance they get.” 

“Wow,” Adam’s voice cut through capturing the attention of Blue and Henry who screamed at what they saw. A bird about two feet and a half, was sitting in Adam’s hand. It was huge, and looked like a skinny peacock, with its bluish tint popping against Adam’s Coca-Cola sweatshirt which it was sitting upon. 

Blue gasped and sticked her hand for it; Mrs. Woo-who he named the peacock for- would laugh and asked him why he wasn’t taking video.

Mrs. Woo, the woman not the bird parting Adam’s hair, was Henry guardian, and probably already called all his roommates, more about the trash then being missing and stranded on a volcano. 

“I named her Mrs. Woo,” Henry spoke up before either of them could stay anything, and was instantly interrupted by a small sound. Looking down at the very wet baby warthog trying to climb on Henry legs was making happy noises, Henry squatted down and scratch her behind her ears. 

“You can be Artemis, the virgin goddess,” Henry announced to the little pig, who squeaked happily. Artemis was soft brown with dark brown spots in a pattern down her back and was making as many sounds as possible. 

“No fair,” Blue so pouted no matter what she said later. 

“Guys, this is really weird. Animals usually don’t react his way to interlopers,’ Adam said sticking his arm far enough that Mrs. Woo wasn’t able to peck him, but close enough she wouldn’t be unsteady on his arm. 

“How do they usually react?” Blue asked leaning a little closer to Mrs. Woo, who squawked at her showing her the little edge teeth on her beak.

“Hiding, and almost all birds out grew the evolution trait to have teeth,” Adam said sliding his hands against her beak. And Henry sweared on his left foot Mrs. Woo hummed against him. 

“Whelp. I guess I really did curse us,’ Henry joked, but Blue’s angry face made him shiver. Okay not a joking time. 

“This way,” she said, stalking away.

 

* * *

 

Over fifteen minutes later Adam screamed and fell down small cavern near a waterfall in the middle of the forest. 

“Adam!” Both Blue and Henry screamed down the hole. A few minutes later, Adam screamed back, “Guys I’m okay! Nothing’s broken!” 

Henry touched his chest as he let out a breath of relief. 

“Adam, do you see an way to get back up?” Blue cupped her hands and screamed into the endless pit. 

“No! It’s too dark!” Adam yelled back up.

“I’m going down,” Henry announced to Blue, and before she could react he went feet first down the small cavern. It was cramped and Henry almost got stuck twice on the way down to Adam. 

Adam was far way from the entrance as possible. The landing ground was flat and had the same white sand as the beach, this time with lots of less rocks. 

“You okay?” Adam softly asked as Henry took a guess about how much room there was. Maybe enough for another average teenager and a small kid, so about three Blue’s could fit in here with them. 

Henry nodded and rested his head against Adam’s shoulders. “Well, now we know where you are,” Henry teased as Adam rolled his eyes.

A rumbling sound came from the slide Henry entered,  _ way too smooth to climb back up _ , Henry noticed.  Adam grabbed Henry’s arm and pulled them back. A small fifth grader came down, oh wait, it was Blue. 

“Joy, now what are we gonna do,” Henry said in the most sarcastic tone he could muster right then. He was tired, hungry, his feet were hurting, and he was thirsty. He was not in the mood for anything. 

“Look, another cavern this way,” Blue bossed them once again. The second cavern was so small all three of them had to army crawl. After what Henry guessed was hours Blue stopped abruptly. 

“Now what?” Henry said exasperated, he was gonna Blue carry him if she stopped again. 

“There’s three caves we can go through,” Blue announced, not moving. 

“Pick the biggest one!” Henry screamed. Adam made a sound of agreement, and Blue started to crawl to the left, towards the volcano if Henry’s sense of direction was right. Maybe Henry was confuse from the small area anyways.

“Since, no one wants to talk. I’ll go. My name is Henry Cheng, and I was kidnapped when I was six, if you believe my old nanny.”

“Why were you kidnapped?” Blue asked as the cave spread a little out on the left side, but the rest stayed the same.

“My family’s rich, ransom. They put me in a hole about 4-by-4 feet if my memory is correct.”

There was a take of breath by Adam, “Are you okay being somewhere this small?”

“Nope. I’m this close to smashing something over someone’s-including mine-head. But, if I lived in fear everyday that’s not very fun. I’d rather be afraid and happy, then not to be happy.” Henry lifted his back ever-so slightly as the top lifted up higher, stretching was good for muscles. 

“My mom was kidnapped and never found,” Blue started her voice low, “I was adopted by my half-aunt Neeve, who was arrested for murder of her fiance, Whelk. Then I was passed from family member to family member, all on my mother’s side.” 

Blue shifted again and kicked out her leg to stretch like Henry and Adam, “No one knows who my dad is. So, I learned quickly that life sucked.”

Adam whimpered, “When I was six my dad tried to drown me at the dock. He hits my mom and me and the dogs that live in the trailer park. Drugs, alcohol, guns, knifes, cleaner, bleach, if it exists, he even uses to hurt us, or to have a good time.”

“It was at the dock, how’d no one noticed?” Henry questioned out loud. 

“My dad said no one could ever love a freak like me so no one tried to help.”

“That’s a fucking lie. I already love you, and I’ve barely known you for 12 hours,” Henry said pissed.

“Let’s not forget the school club devoted to you and who you like most,” Blue said teasingly.

“Seriously?” Henry laughed a little. Oh god, this was gold. 

“Yup, the club president is from Aglionby,” Blue sat up, they were finally in a big enough cavern to stretch, ”Ugh, Aglionby, Raven Boys.”

“I’m starting Aglionby Monday,” Henry mumbled. It was a cavern it was the volcano. Hollowed completely out, and a small pool of water. 

“And I liked you,” Blue said before locking her eyes on the water, “there’s a current coming in. That means that it leads somewhere.” Blue stripped her flip-flops off and climbed into the pool. 

“I go to Aglionby,” Adam said as he sat as far from the water’s edge, “and you like me.” 

“That’s different,” Blue mumbled. 

“How?” Henry asked. He plopped down in the sand and crossed his legs. 

“Adam’s too pure for them,” Blue plopped her head under water was gone for several minutes. 

“Well, she's right about that,” Henry smiled over at Adam who was staring all the way up.

“We're in the volcano. It's hollow,” Adam pointed up at the full moon slowing taking up the entirety of the hole.

“Do you think I should go in after?” Henry peered down. Just as Adam was about to answer, a blob swam through the hole, popping up, Blue moved her hair out of her eyes. 

“It’s about a seven minutes swim out,” Blue smiled and gulped, “Sorry Adam it’s the safest way out.”

“What about the caves?” Adam smiled as well as he could considering the fact he was about to swim into the ocean. He dropped his shoulders, “Do I have to?” 

“Sorry,” Henry mumbled standing up and lend his hand down to Adam. Adam sighed before he took Henry’s hand. 

“Fine, give me a minute to prep myself,” Adam said, not letting go of Henry’s hand. Blue had swam to the edge of the moon pool, and grabbed her flip-flops. 

Stepping on the first layer of rock jutting out and into the water, Adam whimpered, _ oh god, oh god, oh god- _

“Doing great, tell me about the classes you’re taking in Aglionby,” Henry said, squeezing Adam’s hand back.  _ Huh, I didn’t even notice I was squeezing _ , Adam thought before he took a large gulp of air. 

“Latin, History of Ancient Civilizations, Meanings of Literary II, Biology, Marine Ecology, Art III, and Gods and Deities,” Adam recited his schedule, he had memorized the day it came in the mail.

“What about your jobs?” Blue asked, the water was to Adam’s waist. _ Cold, so very cold, suffocatingly cold. No, stop thinking like that.  _

“The trailer factory, Boyd’s Mechanic Garage, and tutoring,” Adam said fear and accent leaking into his voice. He tilted his head back scared of the water even though it was to his mid-chest.

“What do you want to do when you’re older?” Henry arm had drifted to Adam’s elbow and Adam’s finger digged into his joint.

Adam’s subconscious-the helpful one, not the one that sent him in the moment when he his head was underwater and his vision went black-sent him back to a few hours ago where Ms. Woo was preening his hair and Kermit was singing and Artemis was squeaking and splashing in the water.

“Marine Biologist, or anything with nature. Just peace,” the answer was confusing, Adam knew but right now he didn’t care. The water was to his collarbone and there was no rock under his feet. Grabbing ahold of Henry and softly kicking, Adam screwed his eyes shut and took gallons of air in. 

“Relax, breathe with me. Everything is fine. I’m not letting go neither is Henry. No one is leaving you Adam,” Blue hand was wound into Adam’s shirt and her other hand with the flip-flops in them, she began to run her fingers through Adam’s dusty hair. Henry was humming something. 

“What is that?” Adam turned his head and noticed he was practically superglued to Henry’s neck. 

“A lullaby my mom sang to me after I got back,” Henry started the song up, and Blue was breathing against Adam’s back. _ Up, down, up, out, in, out, in, happy, peace, happy, peace.  _ Adam breathing turned normal.

“Alright, it’s time to go under water,” Blue said, as the water began to glow. 

“Should it be doing this?” Henry said, his emotions were always evident in his voice, and his eyes, fear. 

“Bioluminescent algae and plankton pretty common especially near the equator,” Adam spoke up talking about things that got him excited really defeated the anxiety and trauma eating at his brain and mental health. 

“So what do you think it is, algae or plankton?” Henry asked softly as Blue brought her hand palm up to see if the water would stay this whitish-foamy color. It did.

“Plankton makes more sense considering the fact that it seems to in the water not one the rocks, but it doesn’t  _ feel _ like plankton or  _ look _ like plankton,” Adam released one of Henry’s arms to cup the water. The water responded by slipping through Adam’s open fingers, and it felt like normal water. 

The ‘normal’ water began to bubble, and Henry grabbed onto Adam, “Explain this!”

“Um.”

“‘Um’ isn’t good, Adam!” Blue screamed.

Just as it had started the glowing and the bubbling had dissipated. 

“Hey, hey. Just a quick question, just a really quick question. WHAT THE FUCK?” Henry said, throwing his hands down, and slapping them against water. Blue sighed, “Lets just get out of here.”

Adam grabbed one of Henry’s hand and took a deep breath. Nodding all three of them ducked their heads underwater and swam out. The salt stang Adam’s and Henry’s eyes, Blue’s had already adjusted from her early trip out. There was a hole big enough for them to go through but one at a time. 

Blue was the first one out of the moon pool, Henry nodded to Adam. Adam noticed that Henry’s hair was still in it’s shape. Adam’s slipped out of Henry’s grip, and slipped onto the other side. The water, if possible, was even more salty, and was incredibly clear. Adam’s science side took over for a second and he took as many notes as he could before Henry’s hand grabbed his again. 

Straight up the gang went, Blue’s ragged breaths louder than the boys, “What is with your hair?” 

Henry’s hair was still in it’s perfect shape; he smiled, “Money can buy the best of things, like hair gel.”

Adam leaned his head back and took even more air than possible needed. The stars were beautiful, small, white, moving, sparkling dots that took up miles and miles of area in space, yet were smaller than Adam’s freckles from here. Looking down at the water, he noticed that  the full moon was largest thing in the water and it was… comforting. 

Adam’s hand reached to touch it, and was called out of his thoughts by the megaphone off the coast-guard’s boat.

 

* * *

 

Adam wrapped the dull blue blanket closer to his shoulders and breathed a sigh of relief. His dad was currently on the phone with Mr. Drey, one of the coast guards on the boat. Henry had already called Ms. Woo, and Blue had called her other aunt by marriage, Jimi. Adam was squished in between them and was about to fall asleep on Blue.

“So, Ms. Woo is gonna call my mom, but I’ll convince her to let me stay,” Henry started. Adam learned that Henry always had to be doing something. Talking, walking, fidgeting, anything to keep his mind and body focused. 

“I’ll give you a tour Monday,” Adam yawned out. Blue’s fingers worked down his grain of hair. Henry’s smile was light and infectious. 

“See ya Monday then,” Henry mumbled as he quickly fell asleep against Adam’s shoulders. Soon all three of them were asleep in a pile like a litter of puppies. Mr. Drey chuckled to himself and grabbed an extra blanket for them. 

If his memory served correctly the last person to get stranded on Cabeswater was a trio of girls just out of highschool. If the other part of memory was correct, two of them left the city and the third went missing. He also remembered the strange man that came up to the coast guard station and asked about the girls and Cabeswater every few months or so. 

_ Hmm, wonder how he’d react to them _ , Mr. Drey mused to himself. He called his superior to tell her that the kids were safe and slowly regaining their core body temperatures. 

“Great job, John. Keep a close eye on them, who knows how long it’s been since they ate.”

“Can-do, boss,” Mr. Drey responded. Her laugh was small and friendly. 

“You better be glad that you’re the best when it comes to rescues or else I can you for that sass,” Henderson joked. 

“Pfft, please, you wouldn’t replace me.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

 

* * *

 

Adam looked along the treeline outside window as Mr. Drey drove him to the trailer park. It was close to 2 in the morning when Adam realized that the Coast Guards weren’t going to let him walk home. Adam’s eyes kept fluttering as he tried to stay awake; he remembered Blue’s aunt and Henry’s guardian rushing in the emergency room where they were looked over. 

Neither of his parents even called. Soon the had pulled in front of the house, “Need me to walk ya inside?” Mr. Drey had the car in neutral and could easily walk him up, but then he would see the beer cans, and rum bottles. Then, Mr. Drey would call social services, they would find the drugs under the coffee table, and the knives and guns under the fridge. His mom and him would be put in a home, or maybe jail time for allowing it to happen.

Adam shook his head, “No. I’m fine.”  _ Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire.  _

That was not Adam’s voice in his head, his was never accusatory towards him.  _ You’re just tired, man.  _

Mr. Drey nodded and watched Adam walk up the steps to the screen door. The wooden door was smashed open three weeks ago when one of Robert Parrish’s dealers had charged a little too much on the meth. Adam thinks, it was either meth or paint, he got fuzzy in the details all too often. Mr. Drey’s shiny silver car drove away as Adam opened the door far enough just to squeeze through.

“Boy,” Robert Parrish was sitting in his wooly brown recliner, a bottle of vodka resting on his beergut. Adam stiffened -not enough to show his fear that’d just pissed off Robert Parrish even more- and ducked his head down low. 

“Where have you _ been _ ?” Robert Parrish wasn’t slurring yet, which was both a good and bad thing. Good because he wasn’t temperamental yet, but bad because it was harder to tell the truth to be consider the truth. 

“I got stranded on Cabeswater,” Adam didn’t look up and hoped his fear was at bay.

“ **LIAR!** ” The bottle was thrown at the wall and Adam flinched and raised his arms over his head, soon enough to block one of Robert Parrish’s blows to his temple. One of them.

 

* * *

 

Adam stayed quiet on the hospital bed. He had to wait til 2 in the afternoon to sneak to the emergency room for the fourth time that month. Dr. Blumhorst was his doctor since he started working at the trailer factory whose union gave him some medical insurance. The first time he had insurance he mind thinks back. 

Dr. Blumhorst had given him a ice pack for the black eye and the bruise working along his eye and down his cheek. Bloodied nose, and busted top lip made his whole face feel like a balloon. He could only hear things in his right ear. Well, sorta, the things he hears in his left ear can only be classified as strange. Rushing water, leaves in the wind, birds cawing, frogs croaking, and what Adam guesses as a warthog snorting. 

Dr. Blumhorst pulled the curtain open and back as she enters Adam’s little area. Her smile was friendly and professional, “So Adam what happened?”

“I fell down a flight of stairs,” Adam instantly feels ashamed for lying, Dr. Blumhorst has never been condescending or pushy when it comes to Adam’s home life. She smiled softly and Adam could see and feel the fact that she  _ knew  _ in her eyes. He also knew that all the wounds-he hated thinking of them as wounds for the reason that wounds sounded brave and heroic, he wasn’t heroic for flinching and begging for it to stop-were only skin deep. Nothing on his bones, maybe something on his temple, or ear-drum, but other than that nothing. 

“Well, it seems that you tore your left ear-drum. It won’t regrow and you’ll be permanently deaf in that ear. But, about the strange sounds, you were stranded on Cabeswater right?” Dr. Blumhorst eyebrow raised in that questioning manner. Of course, she already knew about that. Word traveled faster than light sometimes in Henrietta. 

Adam just nodded. Dr. Blumhorst said flipping through some papers in his thick file, “The strange sounds may be a way to deal with the fact that you’re mortal and in fact, not invincible.”

“So, my mind is generating sounds from Cabeswater to deal with my mortality,” Adam felt silly for saying it out loud, but it was the only thing that made sense. If, you know, he isn’t crazy, maybe he is for thinking it might be true. 

But, Dr. Blumhorst just nodded and said, “I’ll contact my colleague who deals with traumatic experiences, she might be able to convince your mind to get rid of the sounds.” 

“Thank you. It was nice to see you again, Dr. Blumhorst,” Adam lied, it was never nice to go to the hospital, under any circumstance. But, Dr. Blumhorst just smiled and nodded. He walked through the curtains and towards the exit. He waved at Debra, the nurse at the check-ins, and walked out of the hospital.

 

* * *

 

Adam was zoning out on Blue’s couch. It was one of the old scratchy, wooly kind, but Adam didn’t even have a couch at his trailer. It was dark orange-burnt color and smelled liked it. Honestly Adam liked the couch and it’s worn corners. 

Blue and Henry were currently trying to explain the entire situation. They had grew tails. Tails. Not monkey or even a tail where they could still walk, but no, mermaid tails. 

“You cursed us!” Blue shouted at Henry throwing her hands down to her sides.

“I did not,” Henry’s hands went up, and Adam flinched and he hated the fact that he flinched, “It’s probably your fault!” 

“How is it my fault?” Blue’s hand withdrew to her chest and Adam sighed and leaned back on the couch.

“You led us to the moon pool!” Henry’s turn for the screaming match went well used.

“You suggested Cabeswater!” Blue poked Henry in his chest. 

The doorbell rang once, twice, thrice before Adam walked over to the door, and froze at the person on the other side. Richard Campbell Gansey the Third from Adam’s Latin class was just standing there. He looked very out of place in Blue’s yard. The dead grass and the broken mailbox were too  **poor** looking against Gansey’s boat shoes. 

Adam quickly remembered the first time he met Gansey. Adam bumped into him in the middle of the hallway on the way to Art III. Gansey had stopped him to chat about Latin homework, then he had walked Adam to class, explained and apologized to Adam’s teacher for keeping her most studious student, and walked away. It left Adam feeling a little bit smaller and little bit anxious at the fact Aglionby’s golden boy had gone late to class for  **him** .

Now, here was Gansey again. Pink fancy shirt and cargo shorts, and **boat shoes.** He smiled ever just slightly and brought his hand out, “Adam, right?”

_ Holy shit, he remembers me-  _ “Yeah, you go by Gansey?” Adam brought his hand to meet Gansey’s, who nodded as a response. They did the weird clasp thing that Raven boys did as a greeting, and Adam leaned against the doorway. 

“So, what are you doing here?” Adam tried so very hard to clip his accent and almost prolonged vowel made his stomach twist and stood out to him. Gansey looked shock for a minute like he forgot why he was here, “Oh, well. I tutor a bit. If you could is Jane here?”

“Jane?” Adam started but was interrupted by a scream, “Start that Adam and I’ll castrate you!” 

Blue had pushed her way past Adam and stopped on the first step,”Hello.” 

“Hello there,” Gansey’s voice was light and his timbre was beautiful, Adam hoped he wasn’t blushing.  _ They liked each other, of course. See you weren’t that special to him afterall.  _ Adam rubbed his wrist against his left ear and winced. What was wrong with him?

“Tutoring canceled today,” Blue turned back and walked inside to restart the screaming match with Henry which made Adam winced more visible. He hadn’t told Blue or Henry about him being deaf in one ear yet. 

Gansey was still there staring at Adam in the door rubbing his ear and trying not to reopen his cut and bleed. Adam stopped and brought his hand down, feeling like a reprimanded child. 

“Blue-well you know what she’s like,” Adam started, and Gansey chuckled. 

“Yes, well, hope whatever they’re fighting about is resolved,” Gansey smiled, waved, and walked away just like that. Adam tried not to follow him leave, with his eyes or his legs. Walking back in and closing the door he said, “Fighting’s not gonna fix anything.”

 

* * *

 

They stood at the beach; there was long flat rocks that Adam was waiting on. Blue was making a face at Henry while he had his arms in that gesture that men did when they put their jackets over mud puddles for their ladies to walk past. Blue sighed, and walked into the water, and in about ten seconds ‘water’ wrapped around her body and she flopped forward. From where Adam was he could see her new scales that formed over her breasts.  _ It’s a bra _ , Adam’s mind supplied which let Adam blush. 

The scales on her top perfectly matched the ones to her tail. A beautiful shiny sky blue that looked translucent on her underbelly. A thin short fin along her spine-that actually crawled onto her back-that was a darker color than the rest of her scales. Larger scales, the size of Blue’s fist maybe, on her sides, where her gills where, and along her neck. Blue’s hair-clips were falling out already and her choppy hair stuck to her face. Blue brought her her hands up to push the hair out the way, and Adam had a perfect view of her clawed hands and the scales along her wrist that freckled to her elbows. Her whole body was tinted a soft shade of blue, like she was so close to the brink of death, but her cheeks, wrist and any place where scale met skin the shade of pink calmed Adam down. 

Next in went Henry. ‘Water’ traveled up him just as the same as Blue. Just a bit taller. He flopped backward with his eyes to the sky. He was yellow, a sunshine, lemon yellow with blue streaks softly along his tail. Blue cheetah print on his tail. Scales the size of Henry’s fist now along his sides and neck and as he sat up, Adam could see the scales over his shoulder blades. All yellow, just a blue shine to them. But no scales on his arms. Henry smiled down at Blue and to Adam’s guess, Henry had sharp teeth like a predator. His back fin was larger than Blue’s, now that Adam could see it and Henry was comfortably on his stomach. It was a few inches larger compared to what Adam guessed as Blue’s two inched fin. Henry’s fin-the opposite of Blue’s-got larger as it traveled down his tail. Going off like fabric, while Blue’s tampered in. His hand were clawed, along with his yellow tint. It made Henry look like the once white walls of Adam’s house. Yellowed with age and smoke from cigarettes.

“Adam?” Blue said softly, a question but it felt like a statement. Adam shook his head, and slipped his chin on his knees. Blue smiled softly and Henry grabbed her hand, careful of the claws, “Let’s go exploring!” 

Blue’s eyes snapped towards Adam and he knew that Blue would try to have a conversation about him with Henry if he wasn’t paying attention. 

“It’s fine, I need to go home anyway. I’ll see you Monday.” Adam stood up and waved them goodbye before he started to walk away.  Monday was in two days, but he needed to go early so he could give Henry the tour he promised. Maybe start by seeing the same classes he and Henry shared. Then, start with the different buildings, the gym, the greenhouse, the floors, and then school would probably start by then. 

 

* * *

 

 

Adam had arrived home, and slipped in and let a sigh of relief out. His father was gone, probably at work and his mom was probably trying to get extra shifts at the gas station. Starting his daily chores he quickly picked up all the empty beer cans, and stotch bottles. Anything less than a tenth of the beverage left he threw away and put the remainder on the little table next to his father’s chair. Then he started and finished the dishes. Finally he started the first load of laundry as his mom came home. 

She smiled sweetly at him, kissed his cheek, apologized for letting Adam do ‘the woman’s work’ and started dinner. Adam always felt sick when his mother apologized to him for doing his chores. But, he remembered when was eight, his father caught him folding clothes, and getting a beating for being a ‘sissy’. Less beatings the better. 

Soon, Robert Parrish was home and he surveyed the living room. Nodding his approval, he fell in his chair and grabbed the most full alcoholic beverage close to him, he turned on the tv. Soon dinner was served and Adam was ‘dismissed’ to his room.

Adam didn’t even turn on the light or changed out of his work clothes, he just laid down in bed. Another day, he promised himself locking both of his pinkys together, another day he would go swimming. 


	2. The Filler

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam felt all his blood go cold, at first he thought she was talking about his family, jobs, sexuality, things they have talked about before, not the tails.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, boy. This is completely overdue. its been about 9 months? so, i think my writing switched a tiniest bit while writing this for grouping what to be done at what time. Time for my list of excuses. 
> 
> 1\. A week after I uploaded the first chapter, my parents announced we were moving. I did not want to move. 
> 
> 2\. By the time we got done moving, school started and grades were in the front of my mind. 
> 
> 3\. My internet has been out since June. 
> 
> 4\. My inspiration for this fled from me. (it's back now)
> 
> Sorry, but I am back and more notes at the bottom.

When Henry got to Aglionby, Adam was scrawling on what Henry assumed to be some history homework. The second Adam sensed eyes on him, he looked up and made eye contact with Henry. Henry naturally smiled and waved. Aglionby was exactly what everyone said it was a fancy but not too fancy prep school that had way too many students. 

Brick and green trees and Adam Parrish and Henry Cheng were the only things in the front of the school this early. Henry was told that he had to come early for registration, and had expected Adam to be here early because the second his mother heard that Henry got stranded with two teenagers she had everything dug up on them. Henry only listen and didn’t peek into the files. 

They deserved their privacy even if they didn’t care about it. Adam slipped his homework into his book, closed it, and stood up and greeted Henry in what Henry knew as the traditionally Aglionby way. Henry noticed instantly a tattered vest, too short pants, and scuffed shoes; it just showed what Henry already knew Adam was a scholarship student. 

Adam had glanced around, and then asked, “Do you have to check in somewhere first?” 

Henry smiled what he knew to be his friendly, charming smile, and said, “The registration office.”

Adam walked them up to the steps, opened the door for Henry and started talking, “So, Blue wants to meet tonight at the Juice-Bar.”

“That’s fine with me, but I would love for some frozen yogurt,” Henry commented idly, like they’ve been friends since they were born, and didn’t get stranded Wednesday. Maybe that was why they were already so close, traumatic experience brought them together. 

Adam led him to a room that was light brown or burgundy or some color Henry thought should be classified as offensive to his eyes. The secretary was blonde and mid-twenties, and all smiles, but Henry recognized false politeness, and contempt. Henry dealt with it his entire life, being gay, rich, asian, and korean. 

Korean and Asian were on two different levels since people joked about asians always having good grades and with the yaoi fangirls out there, plus when they figured out he was Korean; everyone assumed he was North Korean and ask him how he escaped. He was South Korean for starters, and he was raised in California, he barely knew any korean and the words he did know were the affectionate nicknames his mom used for him. 

After faking his politeness back to the secretary, and getting his schedule him and Adam left the room as quick as possible. They shared Latin, and Meanings of Literary II, nothing else. After the quick school tour Henry ever been on they landed at Latin. Adam didn’t sprinkle in how the school needed funding or the school’s ‘rich, deep’ history. Entering early the Latin teacher looked up from his desk for a split second only saying, “Good morning, Adam.” 

“Morning, Mr. Daylor,” Adam sat in the second row from the back, third column, one spot from the exact middle, Henry took that spot. Adam looked for a second before he looked back to his homework. The teacher laughed for some weird reason, and Henry asked, “So how’d ya met, Blue?” 

Mr. Daylor looked confused but went back to the homework from Friday. Adam paused for half a second, “She walks dogs for money, and one day they got loose and decided to jump on me. Blue was apologizing a lot, and I was laughing.” 

Adam went quiet again, and Henry stared out the window. Adam clearly was focused, but Henry got him around Blue, both of them opened up. The door was thrown open, and Henry heard a vaguely familiar voice. At the door stood the most angry rebel Henry’s ever seen on or off screen. Shaved head, disheveled uniform, and permanent scowl was on this guy’s face. His face seem to go redder at Henry, for some reason. 

Behind Mr. Rebel stood Mr. Boat Shoes from Blue’s house looking scared at the other boy. 

“Ronan, don’t -” Mr. Boat Shoes was cut off by Mr. Rebel or Ronan walking up to Henry, “That’s my fucking seat.” 

Since when did rebels care about seating arrangements, but Henry had to play nice it was one of the rules, “Sorry, didn-”

“Yeah, yeah. Hurry the fuck up,” Ronan said in the most angriest voice he’s ever heard. Angrier than when the kidnappers were told that his mom wasn’t going to pay a single penny unless Henry was put on the phone. 

Henry quickly got out of the seat, because he really wasn’t ready for one of his first talks with other students to  _ feel _ violent. Mr. Boat Shoes was sighing at Ronan standing up and staring at the scene, “Sorry for Ronan, he’s a little on edge since his father has been put in the hospital. Richard Gansey the Third, by the way.”

Henry smiled and stuck his hand out, they were right in front of Adam’s desk who was definitely eavesdropping on them, but it wasn’t like they were trying to hide something. Adam was still working just not as loudly as earlier; Mr. Daylor stood up, “I’m going to the Copy room. Behave boys.”

As soon as he left, Ronan walked to the board. Richard spoke up, “Ignore Ronan, he always messes around with the teachers.” 

“Hey, Parrish,” Ronan said from the board.

Henry felt his defense reflexes move, and tried not to step closer to Adam. Adam look confused for a second before he said, “Yes?”

“Who's this asshat?” Ronan was smiling at himself, Henry could feel it.

“A friend of mine,” Adam had apparently finished History and moved onto the next book, “Why, Lynch?”

Lynch, as in the Lynches who partnered with his mom on some occasions and with the father being in a coma after a beating to the head, in which the middle son had interrupted causing the attacker to flee and save the father’s life by minutes. 

“Curious as to why a fuckface like him is sticking to ya like a lost puppy,” Ronan was done with his handiwork, and stepped away from the board. 

“He’s new, and I gave him a tour,” Henry felt his entire being go cold, Adam voice was guarded, and that meant something bad. Henry knew it. Richard froze too, obviously knowing the same, and smiled softly, “I heard that Carruthers gave you his boat?”

Henry felt proud of the memory of Tad getting so upset when finding that his brand new boat didn’t work. Adam sent him a stare, obviously knowing what Henry was thinking of. 

“Not really. He repossessed it,” Adam stopped for a minute before grabbing his ear and wincing hard. 

“You okay?” Ronan asked his hands locked behind his head, and staring at Adam’s hand. 

“Yeah, just got infected,” Adam stood and walked to the door probably going to the bathroom.

Henry was about to follow when Ronan spoke up, “He doesn’t like people helping him. He’s thinks it charity.”

Richard smiled, “Oh, I forgot to mention everyone calls me Gansey, it helps since my father and grandfather are both still alive.”

Henry nodded, “Well, I’m Henry Cheng, and yes I know my hair is amazing.” 

Ronan scoffed, and Gansey smiled, “You were at Jane’s house, weren’t you?”

“Jane?” 

“It’s what Gansey calls Sargent,” Ronan said looking over the classroom, probably for something else to mess with. 

“Sargent, as in Blue?” Henry liked the name Blue, it was mystic. 

Gansey nodded, “Yes, I hope you don’t mind my prying, but why did she reschedule our tutoring?” 

Henry shrugged, “I just met her last Wednesday, just like Adam.”

Ronan suddenly sat up, “All three of you?”

“Yes?” Now Henry was really confused. Ronan glared somehow got more intense, “The same night that three teenagers were found stranded at Cabeswater?”

Henry felt his flight instinct demanding he leave,  _ now _ . 

“I better check on Adam,” Henry did a fast walk to the closest bathroom and prayed for Adam to be there. Which he was. Adam was hunched over the sink holding his mouth, checking to make sure Adam didn’t throw up Henry looked into Adam through the mirror. Adam eyes were glazing over and he was sweating a little. 

“Adam?” Henry softly touched Adam’s shoulder. Adam jumped back and slammed against the stall door breathing heavily.

“You okay?” Adam nodded and tried to push Henry back out the door.

“Yeah.”

* * *

Adam rubbed the side of his face, _ why, why, why did everything hurt. _ The voice kept getting louder and more obnoxious, and more critical of  _ everything. _

The world was spinning, trees growing out the tiles, and birds singing and frogs screaming and someone was saying Latin so very very loud. A volcano erupting and the moon crying. The smell of honey, and salt and pineapples for some strange reason.

A soft hand on his shoulder snapped him out of jungle world. Slamming his back against the stall trying not to scream and flinch. Henry's soft face and sharp hair was looking at Adam like a fifth head was growing,  _ used to it but still hard to take your eyes away from.  _

“You okay?” Adam tried to keep the voice out, but  _ do I look alright to you? _

Nodding, “Yeah.” 

The sooner they got to class the sooner the day would go and then they could go to Juice-Bar to see Blue and the sooner he could just take a little nap.

It still only Gansey and Ronan waiting in the class, Mr. Daylor was erasing whatever provocative thing Ronan had decided to write that day. Gansey sat right in the front row, one left of Adam’s column. 

Henry decided to sit on the other side of Adam and Adam quietly worked on Marine Ecology. Twenty minutes until first hour started.

* * *

The day went by  **almost** without hitch. It happened while Adam was passing classes to Gods and Deities. Tad Carruthers appeared out of nowhere screaming “Parrish!”

Adam felt his entire being freeze,  _ move legs, feet, toes, arms, hands, fingers-anything!  _ Adam slowly turned to face Carruthers,  _ no wrong way! _

Carruthers face was the second brightest red Adam had even seen, and the second most ugliest.

_ Oh look it's the second-class bully that can't even get first at anything not even being scary~ _

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat from that statement alone.  _ What's wrong with me _ , Carruthers was in his face now. 

“Do you know how pissed my dad is cause of your little stunt with my motorboat?” Carruthers’ breath stank and his face was curled. 

Carruthers reeled his hand back, and millions of things were going through Adam’s mind. The lightning bugs at the back of Blue’s house. Henry's gravity defying hair. Gansey’s boat shoes always perfect with no scuffs. Ronan and his mission to write the most provocative Latin writings everyday. The dogs sniffing for scraps outside the house before Robert had shot them, killing two out of the ten. Adam’s mom bleeding on the bathroom floor. Adam losing vision and oxygen.

The hit never came.

When Adam's eyes finally registered to the scene before him, Adam realized he need air. Taking the biggest gulp through his teeth. The senior who had grabbed Carruthers arm was Declan Lynch. Adam had never been formally introduced or even seen pictures of him.

He just sometimes happened to hear Ronan proclaiming to the world how his older brother was a jackass, prick, bastard - whatever the word that day was. Adam could just simply tell by Declan’s everything. Hair, face, anger etched into his brows, and lips. 

Just by seeing the oldest Lynch, Carruthers froze and ran. 

Declan had watch Carruthers run, before turning to Adam, “I don’t believe we’ve ever met. I’m Declan Lynch, and you?” 

Declan had his hand out before the sentence was out of his mouth and Adam felt a sick feeling sweep up his chest and in his throat. 

“Adam Parrish,” They did the weird clasp thing, and Declan asked, “You’re in Ronan’s Latin class?”

Adam nodded, and Declan asked, “It might be a little short notice but could you come with me to talk to Ronan after school? I think one of his friends could talk to him.”

_ We aren’t really friends, but we do flip each other as a greeting sometimes in the hall,  _ Adam nodded, “Uhh, sure. Do you think we can go to the Juice-Bar, my friends are meeting there later.”

“Of course, I wouldn’t want to inconvenience you anymore, plus there’s this goddess waitress that I quite enjoy talking to,” Declan responded and they started walking down the hall towards Adam’s class.

“Oh, what’s her name?”

“Well, it looks like we’re at your stop,” Declan gestured to Gods and Deities, “and I just call her Coma.”

“Leaves, hair, foliage,” Adam recited to himself as Declan waved goodbye, and he walked into class. It wasn’t until halfway through class did Adam realized he never told Declan he had Gods and Deities.

* * *

The Juice Bar wasn’t even filled up yet the room was uncharastically loud. Adam had explained to the situation to Henry who was going to explain it to Blue. Right now however, Declan was leading Adam to a table with three boys in it. Adam recognized Gansey and Ronan, who both frowned at his arrival, one formed form anger, the other worry. But the third boy confused Adam.

Golden curly locks and an Aglionby uniform, he had no idea who this was. 

“Hi, I’m Matthew Lynch, you?” the boy stuck his hand out for a normal handshake.  _ At least this one is normal. _

Adam tried his hardest not to wince, and shook Matthew’s hand, “Adam.”

Declan sat down next to Gansy opposite of Ronan, while the only open seat was next to Declan, opposite of Matthew. Adam guess he had to sit there. Suddenly it felt like they were in war, and the battle field lines were drawn.

“Declan,” Ronan’s voice was strained, and sounded like Ronan was trying not to kill Declan with his words.

“Ronan,” Declan’s was the opposite, polite, and sweet, like one would talk to a grandmother.

“Let’s discuss what today is about,” Gansey was clearly trying to get this over with before a confrontation started. 

“Fine, so I why shouldn’t why dropout, Declan?” Ronan’s chin was in his palm, and was staring at Declan with disinterest. 

“Wait, that’s what’s this is about?” Adam asked softly, the others eyes fluttered over to him.

“You didn’t even tell what this is about?” Matthew asked Declan. Declan shrugged, “Seemed pointless. Ronan you have to stay in school, how are you going to get a job in the future, or provide for yourself?”

“In case you forgot Declan that we come from old money,” Ronan retorted.  _ And you seemed to forget how to be nice. _

“I like it when you write vulgar things on the board,” Adam input,  _ it’s one of my highlights, knowing that someone will be happy and okay no matter happens, because if no emotions Lynch can laugh at a joke about dicks, why can’t I? _

Gansey seem to nod, “Beside my parents threatened to cut off Helen when she was going off, your parents might do the same.”

Ronan had sighed then threw his head towards his little brother, “And your input?”

Matthew’s eyes went wide, “This is the only year that all three of us will be in the same school! I wanna keep it that way!”

Ronan exhaled deeply and put his wrist over eyes, while leaning his head far back against the vinyl seating. 

“I guess, I’m not dropping out,” Ronan said, letting the others relax, before saying, “But you,” he pointed at Adam and Adam thankfully didn’t flinch to noticeably, “Have to start hanging out with us. Do you know how many times I had to listen to Dick bitch and moan because you were busy with work.”

Adam said, “This is my only free day, asshole.”

Almost all the air sucked away from the table, and Adam felt the anxiety of a fight creep back into his bones. 

“Fuck, man. Seriously, get a better job, before Dick has a mother hen problem and ties you to his bed.”

The air instantly returned as Gansey sputtered and blushed, while the two other Lynch brothers chuckled and shook their heads. 

“What’s so-oh! Y’all are nasty,” Ronan smirked like he knew what exactly he did but he was playing innocent. 

Henry waving his arms completely wild grabbed Adam’s attention. 

“I better go talk to my friends before they tie me to the bed,” Adam continued the joke as all four of the Raven boys sputtered and blushed. Which looked really good on Ronan and Gansey.

Henry’s smile was like an allergy commercial and didn’t stop through his question, “So, what did they want you for?”

Adam hummed slightly as he began to play with Henry’s straw wrapper, “Ronan was thinking about dropping out. They wanted me to convince him to stay since we share a class and he scares mostly everyone else.”

Henry took a sip of his lemonade, “Mostly everyone.”

Blue pulled up next to them, standing still in her yellow waitress dress, “Anything to drink?”

Adam shook his head, he really didn’t have any money on him.

“Okay, so my break is in 15 minutes. We can talk about the thing then.”

Adam watched her walk away and then said to Henry with his brow furrowing, “She’s being purposefully vague.”

Henry smiled and nodded, “I guess it’s best to just do what she wants, huh?”

Adam let his face relax and then smiled again, “Aw, and Blue said that raven boys couldn’t be trained.”

Henry laughed, before nodding, “Old dogs can always learn new tricks.”

The conversation changed to homework and soon they forget what they were there for. It was going swimmingly, and continued when Blue came to sit with them. She made Henry scoot over. She was still in her yellow dress. The dress had checker-patterned sleeves, and an apron that matched but it seemed that after so many kids spilling drinks everywhere did Blue get a normal apron. 

“So, today’s meeting is about,” Blue started out and was interrupted by someone yelling out something in Latin, of all things.

Most of the ‘normal’ kids (according to Blue in the fact that they didn’t know Latin) sneered at the show of poshness. They thought that the Raven Boys were showing off. But they weren’t, in fact whoever yelled that used a wrong conjunction, and wrong noun changing what Adam assumed to be a catcall to ‘these are of little girl’. Which resulted in Adam and Henry trying to hide their laughing from an anger Blue. 

(What Adam didn’t know was that it was supposed to be ‘hi there sweetheart’ and was Matthew teasing Declan by screaming something at  _ Coma _ ) 

Blue sighed and glared over her shoulder at the table, Ronan with a shit-eating grin (Adam assumed it Ronan trying to provoke something just because he liked fights)(Henry thought it was Gansey who liked Blue). Declan was ushering out Matthew, who was both blushing furiously. Ronan made a ‘come over’ sign with his hand, and Blue huffly turned over to Adam. 

“Anyway. I w-” Blue hissed, actually hissed at the intruders, one who pushed her over and sat directly next to her and the edge of the seat. Gansey just sighed, “Ronan,  _ please _ .”

Henry squished next to Adam, while Adam was trying to save some room for Gansey, who eventually sat down next to Adam. Adam tried not to think about how he couldn’t shower this morning, or how he had to work in 5 minutes, and the lie he told to them before. He did let himself think about how Gansey smelt like goddamn honey, and Ronan smelt like salt, and there was something missing and he didn’t know  **what.**

“So,” Ronan drawled pretending to be a teenager love stricken, “what we talking about?”

Gansey smiled apologetically, “You don’t have to answer if you don’t want Jane.”

Blue was never feminine and it showed the moment she bared her teeth like a boxer, and growled out, “I don’t need your permission,  **Dick** .”

Gansey did not do what he normally did when other students or substitutes called him Dick, he just nodded. Adam felt a little left out - just like at Blue’s house Thursday when they had to reschedule their tutoring.

Blue sighed and took a sip out of Henry’s lemonade, to which Henry softly stated,  _ ew, Blue cooties. _ Adam chuckled slightly and realized he was the only one at the table who heard. Resulting in his cheeks burning in embarrassment. 

“So, we’re starting a band, and you’re not invited Dick,” Blue proudly stated over the table Henry visibly looked shocked while Adam knew that he did not. It wasn’t that he knew it was that this was something Blue did. Every month Blue would try and find her calling. Once when they first met, two years ago, Blue decided that she was going to be the best cooker in Henrietta. Spray-painter, dog trainer, psychic one month. All even failed to get her imagination or failed to be her thing. 

Blue always felt like a wanderer to him. She always felt unsatisfied,  _ One day she will leave you behind and you won’t have anyone anymore. Oh poor lonely Adam, they’ll say, no one loved, and no one noticed when he was born, or when he died. Maybe he’ll met someone in the next life, but its impossible.  _

Adam completely ignored the voice, and instead asked, “Our roles?”

Blue looked pleased that Adam was paying attention and wanted to know her input into her own idea, “Henry said he knew flute, and winds and strings are close last time I checked, so guitar.”

Henry spoke up, “I’m pretty sure people say that about range, not function or learning.”

Blue waved the comment off, “Adam can do drums, you’re really good at keeping the beat in the Juice-Bar.”

Adam didn’t even notice he was tapping his foot along. Ronan and Gansey both looked pleased. 

“And I’d sing.” 

“Okay,“ Adam said shrugging, “but I need to get home. Can you move a little, Gansey?”

Gansey looked appalled at he was inconvenient in any possible way, “Oh, of course. I didn’t realize you were leaving so soon. Would you like a ride anywhere?”

Gansey’s orange camaro was probably the car the Adam would love to fix and would absolutely kill to drive (okay maybe not kill Gansey, but if Gansey wanted him kill a certain someone in exchange to drive the car then okay). Adam shook his head no. Either two things would happen Gansey would take Adam to work and saw that he lied or Gansey would take Adam home and decide never to speak to Adam again. Plus the very down side of Adam’s father seeing Adam get out of the camaro was too much a reality to even risk it. 

“Besides, like that shit of a car will even work right now,” Ronan spoke up as he leaned completely back against the seats.

Gansey frowned thoughtfully and Adam decided no one should look that nice  _ thinking _ of all things. Ronan looked really nice not thinking of anything. 

“I guess, but promise you’ll be careful?” Gansey asked.

Adam nodded.  _ LIAR. _

* * *

As Adam was pedaling home, he passed the boatyard, and remembered Persephone. Guilt crawled up his chest. Slowing his bike he quickly checked his watch. He had a half hour before his shift started and it took his 15 minutes to bike there, everything seemed good. 

Propping his bike on the rail, he quickly walked towards her boat. Her boat was completely white. The boat was named  _ My Triad _ , which Adam didn’t quite understand. Persephone was sitting in her chair watching something. That something was not Adam as her eyes simply passed over him. 

“Afternoon, ma’am,” Adam as he stood the metal flooring on the dock. 

“Good Afternoon, Adam. No need to apologize about the money or cookies, I know what happened.” Adam realized that she was staring at Mr. Greyman’s boat. 

“Alright, ma’am. If you don’t mind-”

“He’s untrustworthy, Adam.”

“Mr. Greyman?”

Persephone’s nod was curt, “Trust me on this Adam. Do not tell him your secret under any circumstances, understand?” Persephone was staring at Adam like something awful was going to happen any moment. 

Adam nodded, but before he could answer she continued, “He might have changed a little but trust me Adam. He likes to grill fish.”

Adam felt all his blood go cold, at first he thought she was talking about his family, jobs, sexuality, things they have talked about before, not  _ the tails. _

“Did… did you know that  _ that _ would happen before?” Adam asked softly hoping that the answer was inevitable.

Persephone nodded but didn’t elaborate. Adam nodded and turned to go to work. 

“Adam,” Persephone yelled as he walked away, “Fish are the most empathetic creatures I know of!”

Adam’s not voice called back,  _ you know of empathetic fish, or you  _ **_know personally_ ** _ empathetic fish? _

* * *

It was Tuesday. Adam had to work until 5, and he decided to go swimming with Blue and Henry. So it was 5:30 pm and they were at the same rocks as before. Henry went first, still the same pattern and yellow tint. Then, Blue with her blue scaled bra and all. 

Adam walked a few steps into the water. The shiny iridescent water wrapped him up. The water was warm, like a shower or a hot tub. The feeling resembled a hot tub, small ‘bubbles’ or ‘drops’ or something. Adam felt himself fall forward and caught himself on his elbows. 

Blue softly gasped, while Henry awestrucked whispered, “So pretty.”

Adam’s tail was thicker and longer than both Blue’s and Henry’s (now that Adam could see closer he could also tell that Blue’s was separated into two slits vaguely representing a shark’s tail, while Henry’s was connected). He had a shiny dark green tint to his entire body, much darker than Henry and Blue. Adam’s back fin was longer than theirs, so much longer that it flopped over his side and hung their. Adam also realized that they had pelvic fins. In order of length, him, Henry, and then Blue. 

Adam also had the fist-sized scale patches, with his gills, (sides, and neck just like Blue, and Henry). Instead of Henry who had scales on his shoulders, and Blue who had hers on her wrists. Adam’s differing scales were on his face (Adam felt the extra weight and his skin itself felt different), clumped to his cheeks. Adam felt his sharpened teeth and his claws. 

“So,” Adam drawl attempting to mock Ronan, “where do you wanna go?” 

Henry smirked, “Cabeswater.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No, this not a cliffhanger, it's just that it's ends better this way? Next chapter they explore and find out about their powers (Adam is definitely not gonna be the only one with powers). 
> 
> Well, what does this mean? My internet is still out, so I have to be careful with my hotspot. 
> 
> 1: Are you going to continue this?  
> Yes, I really like this fic. 
> 
> 2: Do you have a plot in mind?  
> Yes, I do. I promise if something seems confusing it has a point later on. 
> 
> 3: When is the next time this will be updated?  
> If my parents finally get internet again, probably a month. No internet anywhere from 3 month to 6 months, I have wanted write to other fics for a long while.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoyed 
> 
> its so long... my hand hurts


End file.
